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She tried her best to keep it neat but never found the time. Finally, she just closed the door and vowed to get to it later. When that day never arrived, Roix called in a professional organizer. "I knew I wasn't going to get to it,'' said the Largo mother of two, ages 5 and 9. "I was so discouraged by that room, but you only have so much time.''

Roix hired Heather Lambie, owner of Your Home Editor in St. Petersburg. Two visits and six hours later, that same play room today is a "peaceful" place for playing and storing their favorite toys. Every book, craft and board game has a home..

As people look for ways to simplify their lives and reduce spending, many are turning to organizers to declutter their homes. They want an organized kitchen so they can cook more and eat out less. Or they want an organized office so they can work more from home.

"It's not that people have too little space, it's that they have too much stuff,'' said Lambie, who uses "tough love" when helping people shed excess things. "You can't stuff 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5-pound bag.''

Getting organized is one of the top five New Year's resolutions, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers, which has about 4,500 members, including 194 in Florida. But experts say now is the time to get organized before the holidays and influx of new stuff.

"Whatever you can do to get organized now will help you from being overwhelmed,'' said Standolyn Robertson, president of NAPO. "This is the holidays. It should be most joyful time of the year.''

Residential organizers typically charge $50 to $150 an hour, with a three-hour minimum. Most get their training through on-the-job experience, books and the occasional course. Those with 1,500 hours of paid experience in the past three years are eligible to take a test to become board-certified.

Professional organizers have recently gained attention thanks to TV shows such as Mission Organization on HGTV and Clean House on the Style Network. Peter Walsh, author of Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, is a big favorite of Oprah Winfrey and often appears on her show.

Even in these penny-pinching times, organizers are finding that homeowners want better ways to enjoy their homes.

"People are looking to keep what they have and make it more functional,'' said Tiger Newkirt, owner of Closet Tailors of Upper Tampa Bay, which designs and installs shelving and cabinets.

Betty Arnold of Carrollwood started the Organizing Queen less than three years ago and already has three organizers working for her. She declutters all types of rooms, but lately has had several requests to organize paperwork. One client had not opened her mail for a year, except for bills.

"Paper is everyone's biggest problem,'' she said. "I'll walk into every room of a house and there's paper. There shouldn't be.''

Organizers recommend sorting through mail daily over the recycling bin. Take bills to a designated bill-paying area.

The No. 1 rule for trying to corral clutter: Find a home for everything, and you'll find your sanity.

"With the economy and things like they are, your home is something you can take control of,'' said Kate Newcomer, owner of All Things in Order in Odessa. "It should be a safe haven. It should be a place where you walk in and say, 'Ahh, I'm home.' "

SPACES | GET ORGANIZED!

Clean up for Christmas

Here are tips from Heather Lambie. For more, check out her blog, The Pile High Club, at yourhomeeditor.com.

Keep unwrapped gifts in an opaque bin in a designated spot in your house, rather in places you might forget.

Have a pre-holiday toy clean-out day to make room for new ones. Give items in good working order to charity. Toss the junk.

Be kind to others and don't add to their clutter. Buy gifts that don't take up space, such as tickets, lessons, memberships, charity donations and babysitting coupons.

For next year, keep an ongoing list of gift ideas. Write down when someone says, "Oh, I would love that." Tear out magazine pictures. Bookmark Web sites with cool gifts and jot down ideas you see on TV. Keep a file.